Why IBM Urges New US Export Controls on Facial Recognition Technology

IBM said on Friday that the U.S. Department of Commerce should adopt new export controls to limit facial‑recognition systems that could be used by authoritarian regimes to violate human rights.

The company’s statement calls for restrictions on “one‑to‑many” facial‑recognition systems capable of mass surveillance or targeting dissenters, rather than focusing on consumer devices such as iPhone unlock features.

Earlier this year, the Commerce Department sought public comment on whether to require export licenses for surveillance‑related facial‑recognition software and biometric systems, with a deadline of 15 September.

IBM’s vice‑president of government and regulatory affairs, Christopher Padilla, told Reuters that the U.S. should concentrate on high‑risk, large‑scale systems and also limit the export of high‑resolution cameras, image‑matching algorithms, and access to online image databases used to train such systems.

The company noted that the Commerce Department has already placed dozens of Chinese firms, including Hikvision, SenseTime and Megvii, on an economic blacklist, and IBM itself announced in June that it will cease providing facial‑recognition software and oppose its use for mass surveillance and racial profiling, urging new federal regulations to hold police accountable for misuse.